"The Tomb" by H.P. Lovecraft Quiz and Answer Key

Gothic fantasy is a genre that maximizes many high school students’ engagement with literature. “The Tomb” by H.P. Lovecraft is one such short story. It features elements such as a padlocked mausoleum, necromancy, and an institutionalized narrator who slept in empty caskets—calling to mind the works of Edgar Allan Poe and making the narrative a fitting read during the Halloween season. This quiz on “The Tomb” helps English teachers promote homework accountability, evaluate reading comprehension, and save time at home without sacrificing quality in the classroom. An answer key and copy of the public domain narrative are included. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By completing this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:

• The narrator’s confinement
• The protagonist’s self-image
• The name of a long-gone family
• The legend surrounding the long-gone family
• The protagonist’s interest in the legend from a young age
• The protagonist’s attempts to gain access to a tomb
• The reason the protagonist stops trying to access the tomb
• Aspects of the protagonist’s characterization that astound his family
• The protagonist’s ancestry
• A discovery in the attic
• A discovery inside the vault
• How the narrator’s parents demonstrate concern for their son
• Events that seem to transpire when the protagonist enters the cellar
• The protagonist’s intensifying phobia
• The contents of an antique box
• A servant’s actions to help the narrator